Just wondering if anyone has experience with TN style grips made of burl cork, and the slip rings used to hold reels in place. My concern is if the slip rings digging in would cause the burl cork to chunk out or de-laminate. I am asking about standard burl cork, as I know Anyd's exotic corks will hold up great.

Thanks,
Marc

The two corks are built the same way, Andy's is just built a bit denser. Burl cork will hold up a couple time better than cork, but is also proportionally heavier due to the density of glue and cork.

in one of the recent issues of the magazine, there was an article regarding TN handles. they mentioned using a couple poker chips (i believe) inthe are where the cork would go to provide a harder structure to keep the reel from digging.

Spencer is correct...additionally the binding agent that we use is different than what standard burl cork uses.

Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Yeah, I have some experience with that. I built myself a nice spinning rod with a 3 piece, 7' allstar blank and burl cork with slip rings. I thouht I was pretty smart, and in the yard the reel locked down so tight and nice, and I could move it up and down the handle for adjustments. And it did not dig in the cork. Great. Then I took it fishing. First fish I caught the reel popped off during the middle of the fight. I put back on and caught another. The reel kept getting loose and I kept having to tighten the rings while playing the fish.

Bottom line is the burl cork really does not help at all and actually may make the slip rings work worse. The rod bends under the cork and that loosens the rings. I brought the rod home, scraped off all of Andy's beautiful burl cork, and re did it with a graphite reel seat (and more burl). I don't like it as well but the reel stays put when I catch a fish now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2007 09:28AM by Bill Moschler.